Peter johnson



PatentedAprl 8, v1890. A

V UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

PETER JOHNSON, OF VAUCONDA, ILLINOIS.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent NO. 425,100, dated April 8, 1890.

Application tiled November 7, 1889. Serial No. 329,515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER JOHNSON, -a citiL zen of the United States, residing at Wauconda, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of games played with men on a board; and my object is to provide in the said class an improved game in the sense of its affording entertainment of the kind experienced in the playing` of other gaines of its class, but augmented by its novelty. y

My improved game is particularly adapted to be played simultaneously by four players, forming two sets of partners seated opposite each other with the board between them, though it affords entertainment to three, playing each for himself, or even for two players.

The game involves the use of a board, like or substantially like that presented in the accompanying drawing, men, and dice. The men and dice are not presented in the drawing, as they contain no features of novelty, might tend to confusion in the representation, and because the game may, without illustrating them, be readily understood from the following description:

A is the board, which may be, generally speaking, of the form of a checker or backgammon board, thus involving a rectangular board of suitable material adapted, as pre ferred and illustrated, (though not necessarily,) to be folded upon itself along a central line 03, and having appropriately provided upon its surface indications for the placing of the men.

My game involves the provision of the board A, on the surface thereof upon which the game is played, with circles, one within the other, four such circles, denoted, respectively, by the letters fr, q, p, and o, and concentric, being shown and preferred, though that number may be increased or diminished without destroying the utility of the board for my purpose. The circles aord intervening spaces fn, m, and l, each of which is marked off into as many parts or arcs as there are or are intended to be players, preferably four, as this is the maximum number of players for which the game is intended, and thedivisions are indicated in the spaces n, fm, and l, respectively, by the spots s, s', and s2, arranged radially, as shown, and which should be designated by the numbers 1, 2, and 3. Between the radially-arranged series of numbers 1, 2, and 3* the spaces fn, m, and Z are provided at intervals, preferably equal, with spots 7c, 7.5', and k2, arranged in radial series, as shown, there being in each division of the board the same number of series, it being the number thereof shown and preferred, though the game maybe prolonged or shortened byincreasing or decreasing the number.

; Within the innermost circle 0 is a rectangular ligure e', having within it a similar ligure t., the angles of the two ligures being in radial line with each other and with the series of spots s, s, and s2. Between each angle (shown to be blunted in the drawing) of the ligure i and the adjacent spot S2 is a spot s3, and between each pair of Aadjacent angles of the ligures t' and e" is a spot s, and inside the ligure t', at each of its angles, and thus in radial line with the spots s to s4, is a spot S8.

The concentric rectangular ligures z'- and. z" afford the spaces 7L between them, each of which contains between the spots s4 at its eX- tremities, the spots 55, s6, and si. Each series of spots from and including 33 to S7, included, is'shown to be numbered in seriesdmthat is, respectively, at, 5, G, 7, and S, and each spot 5S is shown to be numbered 9. This, however, is not necessary, the said numbers being only indicated, in the present connection, to Afacilitate understanding of the manner of playing the game, hereinafter described; nor are the figures e' and e" indispensable, as the spots arranged with reference to them could be so arranged without the outlines of the ligures.

'Ihe manner of playing the game will be best understood by an explanation thereof, supposing four players to be engaged in it: Each player is provided with three men and a king, and a dice-box and one die should be provided for each player. The men and kings may be of any suitable form or forms-like those in the game of checkers, for example though the men should be marked to correspond with the spots s, s', and s2, as with the .numbers 1, 2, and 3, and the kings should have sonic distinguisl1ing-mark, and the set of men and the king for cach player IOO should be distinguished from the others, as by being colored differently. On beginning the game each player places his men in position on the series of spots s, s, and s@ assigned to him and his king on the respectively adjacent spot s. rlhe men are always played toward the right, and none is allowed to leave its respective circle until it shall have completed its circuit of the board. A play consists in the player throwing his die and moving one of his men toward the right as many spots 7c., 7s', or 7c? on the circle as the number indicated on the upturned side of the die. Men of different players may pass each other in making their circuits, except when bloekadcd by three men being in a row on adjacent spots of the same circle or in radial line across the circles, and men may be moved in making the circuit to capture those of an opponent player and thus send the latter back as many spots orpoints as they were moved forward, thus producing an exchange of places. On completing the circuit, but not before, a man may be moved toward the center of the board, the first lnan completing the circuit being moved in playing by any of the spots 4, 5, G, and 7 leading from the series l 2 3 to the spot 8, where the man stops. As the other men complete their respective circuits, they are passed in playing by way of the spots 4 and 5, respectively, to the spots 7 and 0. It must be understood, however, that no man is permit ted to be moved from the end of a circuit out of a circle to a spot @t while obstructed by a man or king on any et the spots 2, 3, or 4; but when a man or king reaches the respective spot 4, such man or king is safe from molestation and cannot be returned to any of the circles, nor can men throughout the game molest kings. A king comes into play from its initial position on a spot 9 as soon as any or all of the spots l 2 3 are open, when the player may place his king thereon, provided that in throwing his die he turns up a six-spot. Then he may throw a second time, (otherwise being confined throughout the game to a single throw at each. turn,) and should the player, with his second throw, turn up another six-spot, 11e loses both plays, his king then being returned to the initial position 9. Should the player, however, by his second throw of the die turn up other than a six-spot, he may then move either his king or a man accordingly. Kings may be moved either toward the right or the left, and also diagonally across the circles from spot to spot therein, and a king need not be on the same circle with a man to capture the latter, nor with another king to permit capture thereof. Capture of oneking by another sends the captured king back to the startingpoint at the respective spot 9, whence the respective player may only remove it on again turning up a six-spot in throwing his die, as hereinbeforc explained.

In playing for the home position (which is on the spots s, s, and .97) a king is not allowed to be moved diagonally across the circles in order to gain or avoid a spot thereon, but must be passed ont on the circle to which such king was last moved. Il', however, after a king has been moved to a position on a spot l, 2, or 3 on the way to the home position, the player be not satisfied with the number he turns up in throwing his die or iinds he cannot move as man y spots as the number on the die indicates, he must then move to the right or left or diagonally, as hereinbefore stated.

A king must notbe moved from the circles toward the home position until preceded by all the men of the respective player having been moved in playing to the spots G, 7, and 8. Then the king is played to the spot 5, which is the home position for the king. The game is then completed and is won by the party or parties first succeeding in getting the home positions of men and king or kings.

The parts shown and described as circles, though preferred in the circular form, are not necessarily such, but may be of other shape, the term circle7 employed in the claims beingl intended to be considered sufficiently generic to include any analogous means of affording guide-tracks for the movements of the men.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A game-board A, provided on its surface with circles, one within the other, affording spaces between them, and divided into sections by spots, as the spots s, s', and s2, and having intermediate series of spots 7.1, t, and 71:2, and a home for the men and kings within the-innermost circle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

E?. A gameboard A, provided on its surface with circles, one within the other, affording spaces between them, each divided into scetions by spots, as the spots s, s', and si, and having intermediate series 'of spots 7a, k, and k2, spots 33 in the innermost circle, each in radial line with a series of the said spots s, s', and s2, and series of home spots s4, s", s, and s7 within the innermost circle, one said series leading from each spot s3, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A game-board A, provided on its surface with circles, one within the other, affording spaces between them, each divided into sections by spots, as the spots s, s', and s2, and having intermediate series. of spots it', and 7a2, spots s3 in the innermost circle, each in radial line with a series of the said spots s, s', and S2, spots S8, one in radial line with each spot s3, and series ot' home spots .s-, s, s", and 37 within the innermost circle, one said series leading from each spot s, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4r. A game-board A, provided on its surface with four concentric circles ail'ording the three spaces n m Z, marked off, each into four sections by spots s, s', and s2, arranged radi- IOO lIO

ally, a series of six spots extending between each pair of the series of sectional spots s, s', and s2 in each said space, and arranged radially, a rectangular gure Within the innermost circle having each of its angles in radial line with a series of the said sectional spots, a spot 83 between each said angie and the innermost circle, a series of four spots s4, S5,

S6, and S7, arranged along each side of the rectangular figure, and spots s8 within the 1o said gure, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

PETER JOHNSON. In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST. 

